Packers expecting ball-control offense from Tift County

Published 9:31 am Friday, October 25, 2019

MOULTRIE – It appears pretty safe to say that this year’s Tift County High football team tries to run the football.

The statistics show just one touchdown pass, and that’s not even from the projected starter, former Lowndes High Viking and senior Joe Almond. He himself has nearly as many rushing attempts (62) as passes (70) and shares that running load with Jeffrey Butler (54 carries for 365 yards), Walter Jackson (77 totes for 320 yards) and Christon Stephens (79 for 279).

What this has led to is a 3-5 record for the Blue Devils of coach Ashley Anders. They shared common opponents with their opposition this week, the Colquitt County High Packers on Tom White Field at Mack Tharpe Stadium. It all started with two losses, 24-10 against the Warner Robins High Demons and 37-0 at Valdosta High.

Another two-game losing skid followed the first win of the season, the Blue Devils going on the road for a 27-14 setback to Crisp County and a 20-7 handling by Parkview High at the Big Orange Jungle.

But that was August and September. In October, Tift stunned defending state champion Bainbridge 24-6 in Tifton. They started Region 1-7A play last week also at home and kept No. 1 Lowndes off the scoreboard for a half. But the Blue Devils never dented the board themselves and the Vikings rolled in the second half to a 28-0 win.

“They have an identity,” said Colquitt head coach Justin Rogers. “They’ve figured out what they are. They are a ball-control offense, going to try to run a lot of time off the clock, possess the ball and play a field-position game, then try to pop one out.

“We have to be disciplined, not get frustrated defensively so we don’t allow anything to pop out long.

“Offensively, we have to be efficient because you aren’t going to get as many possessions.”

“They do a little bit more than run it, but they run it a lot,” said defensive coordinator Shawn Campbell.

“Very physical, well-coached football team. We have a lot of respect for them. I told the kids they need to buckle the chin strap a little bit tighter. Might need to get a new mouthpiece because it’s going to be old-school football.”

Any team that focuses on the running game must feel pretty good about their players up front. Tift County’s roster does list a pair of linemen above 300 pounds (with one other shown as a defensive tackle).

“Very well technically,” said Campbell about the Blue Devil blockers. “They stay on blocks and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played in the trenches. Very downhill. We have to be physical in return. It’s going to be a good game.”

“The O-line and D-line is what they center their team around,” said Rogers. “They have good players on both sides of the ball.”

So guess what: It will be Colquitt County’s plan to load the box, take away that running attack and make Tift County do things it might not be comfortable doing, like setting a season-high in pass attempts. For the season, Almond’s thrown six interceptions.

“Hats to the ball,” said Rogers. “Make sure your numbers are good. It becomes a math problem, making sure you have more than they can block. Now you allow 1-on-1 opportunities on the outside and see if they can get there and pass.”

When looking over the Tift-Lowndes film, Rogers said the Vikings had some first-half mistakes.

“Tift is good,” he said. “They are a good football team. They have a really good front seven. They make it (hard) to run the ball on them.”

The Blue Devil defense is credited with 42 tackles for a loss, 29 hurries on the quarterback but only six takeaways.

Ever since Sept. 13, Colquitt County football’s been fairly steady, scoring between 31 and 52 points per game and rising its record to 7-1. What stands out the most, however, is how – facing some explosive offensive potential like Warner Robins, Grayson and last week’s foe Camden County – the total number of points allowed still hasn’t reached that of that one game, the 50-49 loss to Valdosta.

“Everybody got healthy,” said Campbell. “And everybody started playing together, gelling as a unit. The productivity is starting to show.

“(Valdosta) was a bad night for us all the way around. I try to forget that.”

For the record, that number allowed is 44 over the last five games, and that includes two special teams touchdowns.

After a three-hour ride to Kingsland last Friday, the Packers left Chris Gilman Stadium 34-17 winners over Camden to start Region 1-7A competition 1-0. Jaycee Harden, Daijun Edwards and company did their normal part. This game, however, was about how the defense adjusted to two quick hits by the hosts to score on their first series, how a cornerback was on the spot for two stops in Packer territory and a response to one major offensive mistake to get the football back right away.

“Did not start how we wanted to by no means,” said Rogers about Jamie Felix’s sweep reception going 56 yards and subsequent touchdown catch from Joshua Brown of 17 yards. “But our young men hit the reset button and played phenomenal … lights out … especially in the second half.”

“We were in a lull early,” said Campbell. “(Camden) was hyped up. We talked about a couple of alignment things and once we got that straightened out the kids fit where they were supposed to fit.”

This, however, may end up defining the 2019 season. It’s 20-17 Colquitt in the third quarter. On third down, Tyler Walker catches a Harden throw at midfield only to be spotted inches short of a first down. Rogers calls for the ‘Wild Hawg’ with Edwards, but the snap goes high and far away. Camden gets to start on the Packer 32. On 3rd-and-2, Biron Silas forces a fumble Nathan Bell recovered.

“Good Lord looking after us there,” said Rogers. “We went for it on 4th and short, trying to open this game up. Had a good drive going and felt we had a good play call to keep going down the field. But had a misfortunate snap over his head. Three plays later, we got a little pressure, quarterback stepped up and we got a strip. That was a huge play.”

“We stepped up,” said Campbell. “If something bad happens, we have to do our job, and our job is to not let them score and get the ball back. The kids were in the right place to make a play. I’m appreciative of how hard they play, and good things are coming because of that.”

What can’t also be overlooked are two plays by Omarian Daniels, junior cornerback. In the second quarter, Camden was inside the Packer 30, but he stopped the sweep run on third down, took away a yard and set up Nyquann Washington’s interception on fourth down. This is also when Colquitt is trailing by one, 14-13.

To start the fourth quarter, when it was that same 20-17 lead, Camden went for a fourth down inside Colquitt’s 40. Daniels caught up with Felix for the TFL.

“He made the right read, everybody else fit where they were supposed to fit, and he had a chance to make a play,” said Campbell.

Edwards, two more times lining up in the ‘Wild Hawg,’ got good snaps and scored two touchdowns in the final quarter.

The only question coming out of the game was the Packer kicking situation. Jason Gallardo was injured on a blocked PAT in the first quarter. Emmanuel Perez backed him up making the other PAT attempts, and Gallardo would return for fourth-quarter kickoffs.

Rogers said Gallardo is good to play this weekend, stating that it was a helmet that hit his kneecap creating a bruise. The coach said the “adrenaline started pumping” and Gallardo wanted to get back in, and the result was perhaps his longest kickoffs of 2019. He also praised the job Perez did in relief.